Read Novel Full Chapter 553: Acting Like a Scoundrel, Shameless
Chapter 553: Acting Like a Scoundrel, Shameless
If given a choice, Gu Tinglin wouldn’t want his daughter to travel far either, but she needed military merits to strengthen herself.
“The fire seed boxes were indeed lost, but the fire seed planners have recorded the relevant coordinates. Finding them won’t be difficult—the real challenge is retrieving and transporting them.”
Jiang Ning thought for a moment. “Won’t they have a problem with you doing this?”
“With the current situation, development is the priority. Besides, this plan was decided after their discussions.”
Development benefits everyone. The issue Gu Tinglin raised had already been discussed countless times. It was only set aside because of practical constraints. But now, he had issued a direct military order.
From both a public and personal standpoint, there was nothing wrong with it.
Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen wanted to climb the ranks, and they had to earn their military merits through their own efforts.
If the two of them were incompetent, forcing a promotion would only harm them in the long run.
But if they rose through their own strength, no matter how dissatisfied others were, they would have no choice but to accept it.
Jiang Ning had no objections and decided to sign up for the military.
“I’ve already selected a team for you. Their families were lost in the disaster, so they have no ties or weaknesses. You won’t have to worry about hiding secrets from them. When the time comes, you can take out supplies from your space as needed.”
Everything would be converted into military merits.
Jiang Ning didn’t doubt it. For someone like Gu Tinglin, who had reached his current position, having a loyal team was nothing surprising.
After returning from next door, Jiang Ning sat quietly on the sofa, slowly digesting Gu Tinglin’s thoughtful intentions.
The hard shell deep in her heart was quietly breaking apart.
It was a strange feeling—like running through a heavy downpour in a panic, only to suddenly find an umbrella over her head.
And the one holding the umbrella was willing to get drenched instead.
She hugged her knees and closed her eyes. It almost felt like there was a pair of arms protecting her.
Later that night, as the lights went out and they lay in bed, Huo Yishen held her hand and said, “Anning, Father really has your best interests at heart.”
Jiang Ning leaned into his embrace and whispered, “I know. Let’s go sign up first thing in the morning.”
The next day, Huo Yishen had a serious talk with his younger sister.
“Doudou, your sister-in-law and I have decided to join the military. That means we’ll probably be moving around a lot. Will you be able to handle managing the greenhouse on your own?”
Doudou was naturally reluctant to part with them, but she knew this was all for the future. “Brother, I can do it.”
Seeing the hesitation on her face, Huo Yishen reassured her, “Don’t be afraid of making mistakes in the beginning. As long as you learn from them, you’ll grow. Your sister-in-law and I believe in you.”
To be honest, many ordinary people had come to enlist, knowing that soldiers received better treatment.
Most of them looked so thin and weak that a strong gust of wind might blow them away.
Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen filled out the paperwork and signed up. Once their information was verified, they took the fitness test on the spot.
Climbing, running, jumping.
The test was too basic—it felt like child’s play to them, and they passed easily.
The recruitment officer recorded their information. “Report back in two days.”
After leaving the recruitment office, the two wandered around the base’s center and were surprised to see a government recruitment drive as well, offering high-level positions.
Jiang Ning couldn’t help but marvel. It seemed Gu Tinglin was serious about reform.
For him to push through such drastic changes, he must’ve put in a lot of effort and taken some serious risks.
Hopefully, this would open up a new chapter.
Since it was still early, the two decided to visit the plantation.
Doudou was giving planting instructions on-site, but it looked like there was some conflict. The workers, who were busy, started gathering around.
Worried, Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen quickened their pace.
Doudou was no longer a child—she couldn’t rely on them to solve every problem. So instead of rushing forward, the two of them silently stood at the back of the crowd.
From the sound of it, it seemed like an argument was going on.
A thin, sickly-looking woman suddenly plopped down on the ground, pounding her chest and wailing. “Is there no justice left? Just because they’re from the leader’s family, they think they can bully ordinary people?”
She kept crying loudly, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Rong Dashao, who had been helping build a new greenhouse, rushed over. “What’s going on?”
Ignoring the woman’s wailing, Doudou calmly explained, “She stole some medicinal seeds.”
The woman, wiping her tears and snot, cried out, “Oh heavens! A kid like you dares to throw out accusations without proof? Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?”
Rong Dashao might have come from a wealthy family, but after experiencing the apocalypse, he had seen all kinds of people. His expression darkened immediately. “Enough with the screaming. Just tell me—did you steal them or not?”
The woman got up, visibly agitated, and turned her tattered pockets inside out. “What could I have stolen? And where would I even hide it? She’s just using her status to bully me!”
Rong Dashao knew Doudou well enough to trust that she wouldn’t falsely accuse someone for no reason.
However, the woman had thoroughly emptied all her pockets, and there were indeed no seeds in sight.
This wasn’t an unusual situation—seeds were incredibly valuable in the apocalypse, especially medicinal ones. Most people couldn’t resist the temptation.
Chances were, she had assumed Doudou was just a naïve young girl who could be easily deceived, so she made a move she shouldn’t have.
“You did steal them, and they’re on you,” Doudou said with certainty. “Don’t try to pull tricks in front of me. If you want to argue, take it to the police station. They’ll investigate.”
That’s right—the base did have law enforcement, but the officers were transferred from the military.
The woman started wailing even louder, swearing to the heavens and painting herself as the victim.
The workers watching from the sidelines whispered among themselves.
Most of them were struggling survivors, and their first instinct was to sympathize with a fellow victim. But food was hard to come by in these times—no one dared to stand up for her, afraid of losing their own hard-earned jobs.
Just then, Rong Tingting pushed through the crowd and pulled Doudou aside, whispering, “Doudou, did she really steal it?”
Doudou nodded. She also knew exactly where the woman had hidden it.
Rong Tingting had survived by clawing her way through piles of corpses. Seeing Doudou’s expression, she immediately understood.
Without hesitation, she lunged at the woman and started tearing at her clothes.
Despite her young age, Rong Tingting had been eating well lately and had gained quite a bit of strength.
She straddled the woman and reached for her waistband.
The woman panicked and desperately tried to protect her pants. “You’re harassing me! Have you no shame?”
Rong Tingting pulled open her trousers, revealing a torn pair of underpants with a hidden inner pocket sewn inside. It was stuffed with medicinal seeds.
The fabric was too fragile, and in the struggle, the stitches tore apart, spilling the precious seeds everywhere.
For a moment, the woman was stunned. Then, she covered her face and began sobbing uncontrollably. “I didn’t want to do this either! But my family… some are sick, some are dead… Those who survived are barely holding on!”
Her cries grew louder. “Do you think I wanted this life? I graduated from a top university! I had a high-paying job at an international company! I owned two houses and two cars! I donated blood, gave to charity… Who doesn’t want to live a glamorous life, eating meat every day? But fate left me no choice!”
The crowd murmured in shock, falling into silence.
Stealing medicinal seeds was wrong, but… who among them didn’t long for such things?
Rong Tingting spat at her in disgust and snapped, “Stealing is still stealing! In this apocalypse, who isn’t struggling to survive? Who doesn’t have their own endless suffering? Do you think you’re the only one who’s miserable?
My grandfather was once the richest man in China! I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth! And look at me now—digging through trash and cleaning up filth just to survive!”